Computer-implemented method for enhancing cognition of a participant using visual emphasis. One or more scenes are provided and are available for visual presentation to the participant, each scene having a background and at least one foreground object. A scene is visually presented to the participant with a specified visual emphasis that enhances visual distinction of the at least one foreground object with respect to the background, where the foreground object(s) and/or the background are modified or selected to achieve the specified visual emphasis. The participant is required to respond to the scene, and a determination made as to whether the participant responded correctly. The visual emphasis may be modified based on whether or not the participant responded correctly a specified number of times. The presenting, requiring, and determining (and possibly the modifying) are repeated in an iterative manner to improve the participant's cognition.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for enhancing cognition in a participant, utilizing a computing device to present visual stimuli for training, and to receive responses from the participant, the method comprising: utilizing the computing device to perform: providing one or more scenes, each having a background and at least one foreground object, wherein the one or more scenes are available for visual presentation to the participant; visually presenting a scene from the one or more scenes to the participant, wherein said visually presenting comprises visually presenting the at least one foreground object and/or the background with a specified visual emphasis that visually distinguishes the at least one foreground object with respect to the background; requiring the participant to respond to the scene; determining whether the participant responded correctly; modifying the specified visual emphasis based on said determining, wherein said modifying the specified visual emphasis comprises adjusting the degree of visual emphasis according to one or more visual emphasis techniques; and repeating said visually presenting, said requiring, and said determining one or more times in an iterative manner to improve the participant's cognition.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said visually presenting the at least one foreground object and/or the background with a specified visual emphasis comprises one or more of: modifying the visual emphasis of the at least one foreground object and/or the background to achieve the specified visual emphasis; or selecting the at least one foreground object and/or the background in accordance with the specified visual emphasis.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified visual emphasis specifies: luminance contrast of the at least one foreground object and/or the background.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified visual emphasis specifies: chromatic contrast of the at least one foreground object and/or the background.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified visual emphasis specifies: spatial frequency of the at least one foreground object and/or the background.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified visual emphasis specifies: size of the at least one foreground object and/or features in the background.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified visual emphasis specifies: flashing the at least one foreground object.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified visual emphasis specifies: moving the at least one foreground object with respect to the background.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified visual emphasis specifies: texture of the at least one foreground object and/or the background.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified visual emphasis specifies: opacity of the at least one foreground object and/or the background.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified visual emphasis specifies: positioning the at least one foreground object with respect to one or more other foreground objects and/or with respect to one or more features of the background.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified visual emphasis specifies: attentional effects of one or more distracting features of the background.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said modifying the specified visual emphasis comprises one or more of: modifying the visual emphasis of the at least one foreground object and/or the background to modify the visual emphasis; or selecting a different at least one foreground object and/or a different background for the scene to modify the visual emphasis.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more visual emphasis techniques specifies a corresponding attribute, wherein said adjusting the degree of visual emphasis comprises increasing the visual emphasis of the scene, and wherein said increasing the visual emphasis of the scene comprises: increasing the attribute for the at least one foreground object according to a first visual emphasis technique.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more visual emphasis techniques specifies a corresponding attribute, wherein said adjusting the degree of visual emphasis comprises increasing the visual emphasis of the scene, and wherein said increasing the visual emphasis of the scene comprises: decreasing the attribute for the background according to a first visual emphasis technique.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more visual emphasis techniques specifies a corresponding attribute, wherein said adjusting the degree of visual emphasis comprises increasing the visual emphasis of the scene, and wherein said increasing the visual emphasis of the scene comprises: increasing the attribute for the at least one foreground object according to a first visual emphasis technique; and decreasing the attribute for the background according to the first visual emphasis technique.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the one or more visual emphasis techniques specifies a corresponding attribute, wherein said adjusting the degree of visual emphasis comprises increasing the visual emphasis of the scene, and wherein said increasing the visual emphasis of the scene comprises: increasing the attribute for the at least one foreground object according to a first visual emphasis technique; and decreasing the attribute for the background according to a second visual emphasis technique.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more visual emphasis techniques specifies a corresponding attribute, wherein said adjusting the degree of visual emphasis comprises decreasing the visual emphasis of the scene, and wherein said decreasing the visual emphasis of the scene comprises: decreasing the attribute for the at least one foreground object according to a first visual emphasis technique.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more visual emphasis techniques specifies a corresponding attribute, wherein said adjusting the degree of visual emphasis comprises decreasing the visual emphasis of the scene, and wherein said decreasing the visual emphasis of the scene comprises: decreasing the attribute for the background according to a first visual emphasis technique.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more visual emphasis techniques specifies a corresponding attribute, wherein said adjusting the degree of visual emphasis comprises decreasing the visual emphasis of the scene, and wherein said decreasing the visual emphasis of the scene comprises: decreasing the attribute for the at least one foreground object according to a first visual emphasis technique; and increasing the attribute for the background according to the first visual emphasis technique.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the one or more visual emphasis techniques specifies a corresponding attribute, wherein said adjusting the degree of visual emphasis comprises decreasing the visual emphasis of the scene, and wherein said decreasing the visual emphasis of the scene comprises: decreasing the attribute for the at least one foreground object according to a first visual emphasis technique; and increasing the attribute for the background according to a second visual emphasis technique.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specified visual emphasis specifies one or more of: luminance contrast of the at least one foreground object and/or the background; chromatic contrast of the at least one foreground object and/or the background; spatial frequency of the at least one foreground object and/or the background; size of the at least one foreground object and/or features in the background; flashing the at least one foreground object; moving the at least one foreground object with respect to the background; texture of the at least one foreground object and/or the background; opacity of the at least one foreground object and/or the background; positioning the at least one foreground object with respect to one or more other foreground objects and/or with respect to one or more features of the background; or attentional effects of one or more distracting features of the background; wherein increasing the visual emphasis comprises: increasing one or more others of the luminance contrast, the color contrast, the spatial frequency, the size, the flashing, the moving, the texture, the opacity, the positioning, or the reducing attentional effects; and wherein decreasing the visual emphasis comprises: ceasing to modify at least one of said one or more of the luminance contrast, the color contrast, the spatial frequency, the size, the flashing, the moving, the texture, the opacity, the positioning, or the reducing attentional effects.
23. The method of claim 1 , wherein said repeating comprises beginning with scenes of higher visual emphasis, wherein said modifying the specified visual emphasis comprises: decreasing the visual emphasis if the participant responds correctly a specified number of times.
24. The method of claim 1 , wherein said repeating comprises: the participant progressing through a plurality of levels, with each successive level specifying lower visual emphasis.
25. The method of claim 1 , wherein said modifying comprises: decreasing the visual emphasis if the participant responds correctly; and increasing the visual emphasis if the participant responds incorrectly.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the visual emphasis comprises stimulus intensity, and wherein said modifying the visual stimulus composes adjusting the stimulus intensity.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein said adjusting the stimulus intensity is performed using a maximum likelihood procedure.
28. The method as recited in claim 27 , wherein the maximum likelihood procedure comprises one or more of: a QUEST (quick estimation by sequential testing) threshold procedure; or a ZEST (zippy estimation by sequential testing) threshold procedure.
29. The method of claim 28 , wherein said adjusting the stimulus intensity comprises: adjusting the stimulus intensity to approach and substantially maintain a specified success rate for the participant.
30. The method of claim 29 , wherein said adjusting the stimulus intensity to approach and substantially maintain a specified success rate for the participant uses a single stair maximum likelihood procedure.
31. The method of claim 27 , wherein said repeating comprises: assessing the participant's performance a plurality of times during said repeating.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein said assessing the participant's performance a plurality of times is performed according to the maximum likelihood procedure.
33. The method of claim 32 , wherein said assessing the participant's performance a plurality of times is performed using a 2-stair maximum likelihood procedure.
34. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium that stores program instructions for enhancing cognition in a participant, utilizing a computing device to present visual stimuli for training, and to receive responses from the participant, wherein the program instructions are executable by a processor to perform: providing one or more scenes, each having a background and at least one foreground object, wherein the one or more scenes are available for visual presentation to the participant; visually presenting a scene from the one or more scenes to the participant, wherein said visually presenting comprises visually presenting the at least one foreground object and/or the background with a specified visual emphasis that visually distinguishes the at least one foreground object with respect to the background; requiring the participant to respond to the scene; determining whether the participant responded correctly; modifying the specified visual emphasis based on said determining, wherein said modifying the specified visual emphasis comprises adjusting the degree of visual emphasis according to one or more visual emphasis techniques; and repeating said visually presenting, said requiring, and said determining one or more times in an iterative manner to improve the participant's cognition.
35. The non-transitory memory medium of claim 34 , wherein said modifying the specified visual emphasis comprises one or more of: modifying the visual emphasis of the at least one foreground object and/or the background to modify the visual emphasis; or selecting a different at least one foreground object and/or a different background for the scene to modify the visual emphasis.
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December 15, 2006
August 10, 2010
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